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“You can go back and watch tape from my freshman year – don’t. Because it’s bad,” Klein, a linebacker, said at Saturday’s NFL scouting combine.

The Kimberly native was only 17 when he hit the Iowa State University campus in 2009 after choosing the Cyclones over his other three Division I scholarship offers.

In many ways, Klein was back at home as he never was the biggest or the strongest growing up. Instead, he relied on his preparation.

Such was the case his true freshman year at Iowa State. Although his game tape wasn’t great looking back on it, Klein saw that slowly change as the years passed.

During his junior year, Klein led the Cyclones with 116 tackles (7½ for a loss) en route to Big 12 co-defensive player of the year honors. He led the team again this past season with another 117 tackles.

On Saturday, Klein was back to square one in preparation for next April’s NFL draft. Again, he was neither the biggest — 6-foot-1, 250 pounds — nor the strongest linebacker at the combine, but still is ready to make an impact.

“You can put it however you want it, but the main goal was to get here and to mainly succeed as a football player,” Klein said. “It’s kind of a whirlwind of emotions-kind of thing, but being here and have it come up really fast. I mean, four years comes up faster than you think. To be sitting here and in this spot, it’s really surreal.”

Since Klein’s senior season ended with the Cyclones, he’s been preparing for the draft in Pensacola, Fla., with his last trip back to the Appleton area coming shortly after the team’s 31-17 loss to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl.

The area still holds many special memories for Klein, who played on a pair of undefeated Papermaker squads in 2007 and 2008 that won back-to-back WIAA Division 2 state championships.

Northeastern Wisconsin hasn't been known as a professional football factory — De Pere's Drew Nowak was the only individual from the Green Bay area in the NFL last season — but Klein believes he’s versatile enough to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 system at the next level.

NFLDraftScout.com ranks him as the 166th best player in this year’s draft with a fifth-round projection, but he’s been slated as high as a third-rounder in other expert draft boards.

Klein declined comment when asked which NFL teams he’s been talking with, but admitted he was a Green Bay Packers fan growing up.

Wherever he’s positioned in April’s draft, Klein is ready to show he has what it takes — just like during his time with the Cyclones.

“Growing up, I was always the small one and always working against that, kind of underdog situation,” Klein said. “Once I got there I had it set in my mind that this is a goal I wanted to work for. It was always in the back of my mind, but I always had separate goals in front of that. All those goals I think I’ve accomplished and now I’m at this one. Now, it’s time to accomplish this goal.”